Nikolaus Kirsch-Puricelli
Baron Nikolaus Kirsch-Puricelli (born December 3, 1866 in Dippach (Luxembourg) ; † October 8, 1936 Reichenstein Castle (Middle Rhine) ) was a very wealthy German industrialist, lord of the castle and founder and former Luxembourg diplomat.
Industrial activity - Rheinböller Hütte
Nicholas Kirsch was trained Luxembourg metallurgical engineer and from 1925 to 1935 großherzoglich- Luxembourg charge d'affaires in the German Reich . At the age of 29 he married Olga, née Puricelli (born February 6, 1857 in Rheinböllen / Hunsrück ; † April 28, 1933, ibid.), Taking both surnames together . This was the only heiress of the three Puricelli brothers and thus sole heir to the Rheinböller Hütte, which Nikolaus took over. At the beginning of the 19th century, the large iron-processing industries in the Ruhr area and Saarland started production. This meant that the old ironworks in the Hunsrück had almost no chance due to the much lower quality of their iron ore and therefore had to gradually stop production. Nikolaus Kirsch-Puricelli gradually switched production to the manufacture of stoves and ovens and special castings. In 1912 he acquired the Stromberger Neuhütte, which, however, after twenty years, partly because of the global economic crisis, closed it down in 1932 and then had it demolished.
His son Baron Dr. rer. pole. Paul Kirsch-Puricelli led the plant from 1936 and had it again comprehensively modernized from 1950 to 1954. Then he leased it. When the tenant had to file for bankruptcy in 1959, Paul Kirsch-Puricelli lost a considerable part of his fortune. In 1962 he sold the work. The owner changed several times. The steelworks came to the Continental Corporation through the Alfred Teves company. It is still an important economic factor for the region today.
Private Activity - Reichenstein Castle (Middle Rhine)
In addition, he and his wife Olga Puricelli bought the dilapidated ruins of Reichenstein Castle (Middle Rhine) and had them rebuilt from 1899 to 1902 according to old plans by the Regensburg architect Strebel into a neo-Gothic residential castle in the English style. He lived in the castle with his family until 1936. After that, the children gave up the castle as a residential complex: the maintenance of such a property for residential purposes had become too expensive, as up to 40 servants (coachmen, stable boys, stokers, gardeners, kitchen staff, chambermaids, etc.) were needed at times. His son Baron Dr. rer. pole. Paul Kirsch-Puricelli continued to run the castle as a museum. He was followed by his nephew, Baron Hermann Freiherr von Schorlemer-Lieser, who continued to run it as a hotel. Baron Dr. rer. pole. Paul Kirsch-Puricelli (born September 17, 1896 Rheinböllerhütte; †) was married to Klara Maria Helene Karola von Matuschka, Countess von Greiffenclau zu Vollrads (born January 25, 1902; † 1993). With the death of Baroness Clara Kirsch-Puricelli in 1993, who had no children, the name Puricelli died out in Germany after about 330 years. Reichenstein Castle has been in the hands of the family's heirs again since 2014.
literature
- Robert Schmitt: The history of the Rheinböller Hütte . In: Journal for Company History and Entrepreneur Biography , 6th year, issue 4/5. (August / October 1961)
- Freckmann, Klaus (ed.): The Puricelli family of entrepreneurs: economic, socio-historical and cultural aspects , Cologne, Rheinland-Verlag, ISBN 3792716445
Web links
- The Puricellis in Rheinböllen / Rheinböllerhütte
- Reichenstein Castle (Middle Rhine)
- Cultural monument Reichenstein Castle (Middle Rhine)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Kirsch-Puricelli, Nicholas |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Kirsch-Puricelli, Nicolas |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | German industrialist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 3, 1866 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Dippach (Luxembourg) |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 8, 1936 |
| Place of death | Reichenstein Castle (Middle Rhine) |